FREEPORT — If Quaveon Meeks looked like a running back playing quarterback as a junior, there was a reason for it:

He sort of was.

Meeks had always been a running back until his sophomore season, but with perhaps the greatest runner in Freeport history waiting in the wings, the Pretzels converted Meeks into a quarterback. And, after a one-year apprenticeship on the sophomore level, thrust him into the starting lineup.

“That would be very hard,” said Steve McShane, who last year became the first sophomore in NIC-10 history to rush for 1,000 yards. “Honestly, I don’t know how he did it.”

It wasn’t always smooth. Meeks, an explosive runner, scrambled for 466 yards on 90 carries, second on the team to McShane’s 1,140. But the Pretzels ranked last in the conference in passing, with Meeks averaging just four completions per game.

The lack of a passing game helped opponents focus their defense on McShane. But Freeport expects far more passing yards this year from Meeks.

“That will surprise a lot of people,” said Meeks, who was 37-for-88 for 489 yards last year, with five touchdowns and five interceptions.

If Meeks proves a true passing surprise, Meeks, McShane and Vance McShane, Steve’s younger brother, should all have more room to run and the Pretzels’ offense could truly click.

“That’s exactly what’s about to happen,” Steve McShane said. “We’re about to have a running and throwing quarterback. Everybody thinks he can’t throw and all, but he’s going to go out and pass the ball around.”

“Last year,” agreed third-year coach Aaron Wichman, “that’s the way people would have game-planned him, to stop the run first. He’s worked an awful lot this year on the passing game. We’re going to use him both ways this year.

“Teams are going to have to respect both out of him. Last year, he had only nine total games as a quarterback; 18 compared to nine is night and day. And he’s also had all summer and all the 7-on-7s we had. The comfort level for him running the offense is so much greater now.”

Much of Meeks’ comfort will come down to how well the Pretzels can replace a trio of three-year starting offensive linemen: Malique Johnson, Darian Johnson and Kendal Parker.

In their place could be a pair of future three-year starters: sophomores Vaun Truckenmiller and Travis Buckwalter, the little brother of former three-sport star and state discus champ Bryn Buckwalter, are expected to start.

“Only he’s not so little,” Wichman said of the 6-foot-2, 250-pound Buckwalter.

“Starting two sophomores on the offensive line will certainly be a change from last year, but if those guys can come along, we know those guys in the backfield can help us quite a bit. It’s going to take the line a few games to get adjusted, but we think they are very capable.”

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“It’s going to be rougher,” agreed McShane, “but our line this year can get it done too. And if they do, we’ve got the skills to get in the open field and score touchdowns.”

Meeks is eager for a two-McShane attack.

“I think his brother is starting with us; that will give me a lot of room to run,” Meeks said.

If Vance McShane doesn’t get used as a running back, Wichman will use him as a defensive back. But it’s only one-way for him. Wichman decided after last season that Freeport, the second-smallest public school in the NIC-10 behind Belvidere, wore out its stars by having the best Pretzels play both ways.

“If we’re going to be competitive with the bigger schools all the way through the conference, we have to start developing guys and specialize a bit more,” Wichman said. “We did that all summer and we’re still doing that now, trying to get guys ready on just one side of the ball. Last year, we rode our core. This is a philosophical change for us.”

Another big change is to not rely on Steve McShane quite so much. Against Auburn last year, McShane had 28 carries in the first half alone and finished with 40.

“We knew we couldn’t have that if we wanted to be successful long term,” Wichman said. “That’s an awful lot to put on one player. And it’s also an awful lot to put on other guys not being involved. We’re trying to be more balanced. You might even see Steve in different spots as we move him around to take advantage of his athleticism.”

That means McShane could also help out as a receiver for Meeks, giving him a dump-off option so he doesn’t have to throw downfield.

“We’re trying to put Quaveon in a position where he can make plays with the pass,” Wichman said. “We preach completion percentage all the time. We want those guys to understand that maybe the pass play is only for 5 yards, but we can catch and run for 80. It won’t look any different in the boxscore.”

Meeks has a strong arm. He can also easily throw downfield as far as he needs to. If he’s comfortable in the pocket, he’s confident he can be just as big a threat with his arm as with his feet.

“I had confidence in my line last year, but a lot of times (defenders) were getting through,” said Meeks, who is also a returning starter at safety. “That took me from being a pocket passer to running, which is what I normally do.

“I am very confident at running the ball. I am confident in passing too. If the blocks are there, I believe I can make the throw. You have to be confident when you are throwing the ball.

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“I am ready. I’m anxious. This is my senior year. I want to go out and get us where we need to be.”

Strengths: Team speed at all positions. ... Experienced playmakers on offense, including Steve McShane, the only NIC-10 sophomore to ever rush for 1,000 yards. ... Better numbers in core players, so the Pretzels won’t have to rely on so many two-way players.

Weaknesses: Lack of size with very few players taller than 6-foot. ... Youth; the Pretzels could start as many as five sophomores ... Replacing a trio of three-year starters on the offensive line.

Outlook: Freeport has not won more than five games in the eight years since it won the last of its fourconsecutive undefeated conference championships. The Pretzels face an uphill battle for the playoffs again with little size on the lines. Much will depend on RB Steve McShane and QB Quaveon Meeks and whether the line can give them a chance to shine.